Lovers Point in Pacific Grove was the site of an unconfirmed shark attack this weekend. Photo: Gene Giromini// Unsplash
Yesterday, a 55-year-old swimmer went missing at Lovers Point in Pacific Grove, California. Now, the woman’s identity has been made public, just as the efforts to find her have been suspended.
As NBC News reports, the missing woman was identified as Erica Fox. Fox was the co-founder of the Kelp Krawlers, a Monterey Bay open-water swimming group. As Erica’s father, James Fox, told NBC News, she was an extremely experienced swimmer and triathlete, who has done two half-Ironmans and many other triathlons. “I’m in shock, and I’m kind of numbed by all this, because it was just out of the blue,” he told the outlet. “Erica was doing something yesterday that she really loved.”
After a 15-hour search that covered 84 square nautical miles, the search for Fox has ended. “The Coast Guard extends its deepest condolences to the family, friends, and loved ones affected by this tragic incident,” said Captain Jordan Baldueza, Coast Guard Sector San Francisco commander.
“While coordinated search operations have concluded, detectives will continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the disappearance,” Commander Brian Anderson of the Pacific Grove Police Department told NBC. “We remain committed to determining what happened and following every available lead.”
According to eyewitnesses, the cause of Fox’s disappearance may have been a shark attack. “The person who reported the shark sighting claimed they saw a shark breach the water with what appeared to be a human body in its mouth,” U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Christopher Sappey told SFGate. “They then witnessed the shark submerge below the waterline without resurfacing.”
